Suzie Bates ruled out of WBBL, heads home for shoulder surgery

New Zealand allrounder Suzie Bates will undergo surgery on her injured right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the WBBL.

Bates left the field in the Adelaide Strikers loss to Melbourne Stars last week after feeling pain in her right shoulder while throwing. She had previously sustained the shoulder injury playing for New Zealand in the ODI series against Australia in early October.

New Zealand cricket's medical manager Dayle Shackel consulted with the Strikers medical staff and it was decided surgery was the best course of action. Bates will head back to New Zealand to undergo the procedure.

"As a cricketer, you want to be fit and playing all the time, so to face a decent stint on the sidelines is tough news," Bates said.

"For me, it's about taking this process one step at a time. The first step is a successful surgery. Once that's done, I can then turn my mind to rehabilitation and the ultimate goal of getting back on the park as soon as possible."

"There's also the carrot of playing at home in the Women's World Cup in 2022 to keep me motivated throughout the process."

Speaking to reporters later, Bates suggested the recovery time was between six to nine months and she was hopeful of having the surgery in mid-December following the mandatory isolation period on returning home.

New Zealand team-mate Sophie Devine will miss the Perth Scorchers clash with the Stars on Tuesday. Devine suffered a back injury in the Scorchers win over the Sydney Thunder on Sunday.

She looked in extreme discomfort after injuring her back while bowling and was forced to leave the field and took no further part. The Scorchers medical team confirmed on Monday that the extent of Devine's injury is still being investigated and her return date to playing is unknown.

Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner was substituted out of the Sydney Sixers loss to Adelaide Strikers after concussion concerns. She made a diving save on the boundary but experienced some concussion symptoms after the heavy landing. She has been concussed on a number of occasions previously and was subbed out of the game as a precaution.

The Sixers playing group had Monday morning off but Gardner will need to pass concussion protocols in order to be able to play on Tuesday.